Chris Brown and Rihanna are seemingly testing fans’ loyalty with dueling specials airing Friday night.

Brown sat down earlier this week at Richmond’s In Your Ear Studios with MTV’s Sway to discuss – what else? – his altercation with Rihanna.

In a brief preview clip (http://www.mtv.com/videos/?id=1625460), Sway asks the singer what thoughts go through his head about the events of that violent February night. Brown responds,  “Why’d it happen? Like, what was I thinking?”

In the 30-minute special, airing at 6 p.m. Friday,  Brown reportedly talks about his rightfully maligned Larry King interview, how it feels to be pelted with comments such as “woman beater” and how he intends to right his career.

It was also just announced that Brown’s album, “Graffiti,“ has been moved up for a Dec. 8 release (it was originally slated for Dec. 15).

Meanwhile, over on ABC Friday, Rihanna’s first candid sit-down, with Diane Sawyer, will re-air at 10 p.m. on “20/20.” The segment, during which Rihanna tells the newscaster that Brown was her “first big love,” will initially air during Thursday’s “Good Morning America.”

Kelsey Grammer’s new sitcom, “Hank,” is in no way a match for his considerable talent (unlike the never-given-a-chance “Back to You”).

But, I keep hoping it will improve, so I keep it on the TiVo list (the shows airs at 8 p.m. Wednesdays on ABC).

And, since the point of the show is that Grammer’s tumble from corporate wealth in New York has sent his family scurrying to the fictional town of River Bend, Va., I feel some odd obligation to watch, thinking there might be some funny Virginia references.

Instead, last night we got Grammer’s bratty daughter moaning to her boyfriend via Web cam, “I’ve only been in Virginia two weeks and I’m already becoming one of them. Today, I said y’all.”

Please. Any New Yorker knows that is an impossibility.

But, in the same ep, a U.Va. sweatshirt made a brief appearance in a scene about laundry – so my 22 minutes with “Hank” wasn’t a total waste.

Really, it’s the perfect show to keep on in the background while you surf the Web.

Meanwhile, back in New York, Tina Fey and the “30 Rock’ crew haven’t missed a clever beat since last season for its return tonight at 9:30 on NBC.

While “Hank” tackles the economic crisis and collapse of big business with obvious jokes about Grammer being uncomfortable and clueless about anything that wasn’t part of his former Wall Street honcho life, “30 Rock” approaches the same topic with its usual shrewd wink.

Alec Baldwin’s Jack Donaghy gripes about company downsizing while cashing his hefty bonus check, Jenna (the Emmy-robbed Jane Krakowski) reinvents herself as a country singer as a method of reaching Middle America (the closing credits “Tennis Night in America” is the funniest thing you’ll see all week) and Tracy Morgan is even occasionally funny when he realizes that wealth and fame have caused him to lose touch with his roots.

And then this kicker: “There’s nothing wrong with being fun and popular and giving the people what they want,” Jack lectures Liz, before delivering a deliciously wicked jab at Jay Leno.

Welcome back, “30 Rock.” The fall season’s IQ just jumped 40 points.

If you’re one of those Rick Springfield fans willing to wince through the crass “Californication” just to see the ageless hunk in action (seriously, how is it possible that this man is 60?) get the TiVo set for 10 p.m. Sunday.

But a heads-up – there is very little Springfield in this first of four episodes he’ll appear in throughout the season of the Showtime series. Don’t look for him in the Oct. 18 ep, either. Gotta give David Duchovny’s sleazy Hank Moody more time to ruminate over whether he should sleep with his stripper/student, his teacher’s aide or the wife of his boss, the dean at the university where he now teaches. Or maybe he’ll take a spin with all of them since Moody’s libido is the engine of “Californication.”

I don’t know what it is about this show – I’m impossible to offend and I adore Duchovny, yet I can’t get past the ick factor in nearly every scene.

Anyway, Springfield is basically playing a more salacious version of himself when he’s summoned to a restaurant meeting with Moody’s agent, Charlie (Evan Handler), and his boss, Sue Collini (Kathleen Turner, looking like a drag queen and sounding as if she burns through a carton of Parliaments every day).

Though he looks great and that hint of Australian accent is still present, Springfield’s only scene is a quick conversation with the two agents about reviving his career.

The rabid followers will be happy to know that not only is Springfield working on a new album, a children’s book and an autobiography, but he’ll bare his backside by the end of his “Californication” stint this season. Shades of “Hard to Hold”?

Congrats to Bryan Cranston for winning his second consecutive Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.

Cranston stars in AMC’s eccentric “Breaking Bad” as a former chemistry teacher who turned to selling meth to pay for his lung cancer treatments.

The show is created, written, directed and produced by Richmond native Vince Gilligan, whom Cranston called “brilliant” in his acceptance speech.

“[The show] is about a good man who makes bad decisions,” Cranston said from L.A.’s Nokia Theatre stage, holding his award aloft. “I stand before you a humbled man very grateful for the decision the Academy has made to honor me.”

“Breaking Bad” has been renewed for a third season, set to begin in March.

Photo: AP Photos/Mark J. Terrill

Those who tuned into the MTV Video Music Awards Sunday have to agree that Janet Jackson’s tribute to her brother was sharp, well-crafted and well-meaning.

I applaud anyone who can do that leap-from-your-knees-to-your-feet maneuver at any age, never mind that Janet is 43 and still demonstrates some killer moves.

On Saturday at 12:30 p.m., MTV will bring you behind the scenes of how the Michael Jackson tribute gelled, starting with the first day of rehearsals. Calling it “the performance of a lifetime” (as says the press release) is a tad hyperbolic, but I hope the show answers my sole question: were those dancers during the “Thriller,” “Bad” and “Smooth Criminal” segments the same now-unemployed folks who were chosen to perform at Michael’s “This Is It” shows?

Credit: PictureGroup/MTV

Here’s the first problem with the new “The Jay Leno Show” on Monday nights – massive interference with Monday Night Football.

Did I want to turn to NBC with 1:48 left in a nail-biter of a game between the New England Patriots and the underdog Buffalo Bills who were about to blow a huge win?

Any other night, not a chance.

So expect some wrangling over the remote between couples in TiVo-less households.

Leno’s return after a three-month absence (really? Is that all it has been?) opened on a subdued note as the Now Ready For Primetime Player strode through an odd set of glass doors and beelined to a pool of audience members at the front of the stage.

“This is not another annoying promo, this is the actual show,” Leno said immediately to the fawning crowd – and those of us watching at home who indeed are completely tired of those annoying promos.

Then it was a quick Kanye West/Taylor Swift joke and bam! Leno was back with his trademark bad-dum-bum jokes.

Politics. Serena Williams. Football. Topical chatter for a minute and then a cutaway to a dopey takeoff on the idiotic show “Cheaters” – is that really going to appeal to Leno’s primary demographic? Do they even know what “Cheaters” is?

At 10:15, Leno threw to a taped bit with one of his new comedy team members, Dan Finnerty, who, along with his Dan Band, “entertained” people at a car wash with a bad song filled with obvious innuendo (hoses, suds…yawn).

Cut to commercial and at 10:23, Leno, sitting in one of two stiff-back, blue velour chairs, introduced Jerry Seinfeld (and held up an issue of Entertainment Weekly from two weeks ago).

A self-deprecating Seinfeld, spiffed up in a classic tux, teased Leno about being back on the air after his high-profile departure from late night.

“In the ‘90s, when we quit a show, we actually left,” Seinfeld said in his Seinfeldian whine.

Seinfeld continued to make some self-deprecating comments about being Leno’s first guest, and, after Leno mentioned that Oprah was their first choice but they couldn’t get her, just like that, her O-ness, a Seinfeld pal, was summoned on a video link-up; Seinfeld interviewed her and Leno pretended to try to cut in with questions.

Ha?

Their seven-minute segment – which, since those chairs are the only two set pieces, gave the impression of two guys chatting in the cigar room – was breezy and brief.

So far, the best part of the hour was getting another glimpse at the trailer for Michael Jackson’s “This Is It” movie.

At 10:36, Leno returned, solo, before pitching to a fake, doctored interview between himself and President Obama.

Well, Jay, those millions who found you funny before will be thrilled to see you haven’t strayed from your roots of doing the exact same silly, milquetoast comedy bits.

Coming in at 10:43 was an “unplanned” segment with Kanye West having his Hugh Grant moment (before Sunday’s incident at the MTV Video Music Awards, he was only supposed to perform with Jay-Z and Rihanna…because all three fit right into Leno’s target audience). Leno, in a moment of ridiculousness, THANKED WEST FOR HONORING HIS COMMITMENT AND SHOWING UP TO DO THE SHOW?!! Are you kidding me? That’s his JOB! What better platform to apologize than during what was surely the most-watched show of the night?

Leno, showing a rare instinct for interviewing, asked West what his late mother would have thought of his outburst, which silenced the rambling rapper for several awkward moments.

After the night’s musical performance, Leno asked the viewers at home to stay tuned for a promo to their local news and came back with his patented “Headlines” segment, wisely shuttled to the end of the show when some stragglers might tune in on their way to the news.

But, as has always been the case, Leno is always funniest when someone else is providing the material.

I’ll still miss Paula Abdul and I still think the middle finger “American Idol” producers gave her was unfair, but…pretty genius move tapping Ellen DeGeneres to replace her on the judges’ dais.

DeGeneres has been an unabashed fan of the show for years, and almost always provided the latest also-ran the opportunity to visit her daytime talk show (and surely this new deal will give her first crack at the castoffs before Oprah or Leno snags them).

She’s also quick, amusing, follows pop culture, loves music and, most important to the chemistry of the foursome, will perfectly fill Abdul’s slot as the Judge Least Likely To Offend. Now if only she’ll let Simon Cowell draw a mustache on her or start reciting loopy poetry about moths – that would be awesome.

I’m a little surprised that Cowell – and his ego – allowed for such a big name to possibly overshadow his, but the addition of DeGeneres is more likely to bring viewers to “Idol” than alienate them.

Most interesting to me will be the dynamic between her and Kara DioGuardi. You could tell throughout last season that even when DioGuardi wanted to pounce on Abdul for offering commentary completely devoid of criticism, she pulled back – maybe out of respect for their “friendship” or maybe because, mock if you will, Abdul DID have a pretty healthy pop career for a few years and has a slight clue about performing.

DeGeneres is a magnificent stand-up and one of the breeziest talk show hosts to ever hold the job – at least in daytime – but being a fan of music and breaking into dance whenever someone taps their foot in her studio doesn’t equate to industry credibility, which, love her or hate her, DioGuardi possesses.

DeGeneres didn’t need this gig – her show wins Emmys and maintains a devoted fan base and one would assume she’s got serious star money – but she’ll certainly bring a new enthusiasm to “Idol.”

Right now, things look rosy (and speaking of, who else thinks that Rosie O’Donnell was on the short list of Abdul replacements?), but in the fickle world of TV, who knows?

Do you think “Idol” folks made the right choice with DeGeneres? Are you more or less likely to watch now that she’s joined the cast?

Just a reminder that Chris Brown’s “I don’t remember hitting Rihanna—oh, wait, yes I do” interview with Larry King airs tonight at 9 on CNN.

An interview with Brown also runs in the upcoming issue of People magazine (out Friday). Some excerpts can be read here.

Not only the best new show of the summer, but possibly of the year, “Nurse Jackie” ends its freshmen season tonight the way it began – with Jackie prone and drugged and nearly everyone else emotionally gutted.

Except Akalitus. She’s just stuck in another one of those overly hammy sitcom situations that draws attention to the Showtime dramedy’s weakest aspect – its overeagerness to be funny. Anna Deavere Smith plays Akalitus the way the character is written, and her rubbery, cartoonish expressions are great…just overly exaggerated to the point of silliness.

Many of you might have already watched the “Jackie” finale On Demand, but out of respect for those tuning in at 10:30 tonight, there will be no spoilers here—except to say that you’ll want to hug Eddie (the wonderfully expressive Paul Schulze) after he masochistically enters Jackie’s alternate world of domestic contentment; you’ll want to hug Dr. O’Hara (the hugely appealing Eve Best, above left, who was in town recently to film PBS’ Dolley Madison movie) when her comatose mother is admitted to the ER while her moral support – Jackie – is busting into the Pill O-Matix; and you’ll want to hug Zoey because her misery over accidentally putting a famous movie critic into a coma just makes her so pitiable. That, and because Merritt Wever >>> has been brilliant all season as the soft, gullible foil to Jackie’s piercing, sarcastic edge.

But the show, as we know, belongs to Edie Falco, perhaps the best dramatic actress on TV who has done the impossible – while watching “Jackie,” you pretty much forget about Carmela Soprano.

More or less. Let’s not get crazy and think Carmela will ever be erased from TV icon status.

Still, it’s tough to make someone who has a lover and a drug problem sympathetic, but somehow, Falco has explored the complicated psyche of Jackie to the point that we understand why she needs to lock herself in the hospital bathroom to down a packet of Percocet or forge an organ donor card.

My only problem with “Nurse Jackie” is that her affair with Eddie is so inexplicable. Jackie’s husband is adorable, thoughtful and hard-working, and surely Eddie would have kept her deep in painkiller supply even if their relationship had never developed past friendship. 

Though, actually, the show’s biggest flaw might be its horrid opening credits, which are the worst I’ve seen since “The L Word” (I’m still trying to figure out how that hot mess was approved to introduce the weekly awesomeness that was Jennifer Beals and Co.).

That’s the only thing you should think about fast forwarding through tonight.

In the battle of the “American Idol” rockers, I think David Cook gets the edge over Chris Daughtry for continuing to reshape songs into something fresh and relevant.

This Friday “Good Morning America” performance, where he’s joined by this year’s “Idol” winner, Kris Allen, and the guy lots of people thought should be the winner, Adam Lambert, showcases an inspired recast of a lukewarm Fleetwood Mac song.

Photo: Charles Eshelman/FilmMagic